Sibling relationships are often the longest-lasting relationships in a person's life. For children involved in foster care, kinship care, or adoption, siblings can provide continuity, connection, comfort, and a shared sense of identity during times of significant change and uncertainty.

Child welfare professionals increasingly recognize that preserving sibling relationships is critical to children's emotional well-being, permanency outcomes, and healthy development.

Who Is Considered a Sibling?

In child welfare and adoption, the definition of "sibling" is often broader than biological relationships alone and may include:

• Full siblings
• Half-siblings
• Step-siblings
• Adoptive siblings
• Children connected through kinship or customary family relationships
• Children who have lived together in the same household and identify one another as siblings

Recognizing these important relationships helps ensure that children maintain meaningful family connections that support their well-being.

Why Sibling Relationships Matter

When children experience abuse, neglect, parental separation, foster care placement, or other forms of family disruption, siblings often become a primary source of emotional support.

Siblings can provide:

• A sense of belonging
• Emotional security
• Shared family history
• Cultural and family identity
• Stability during transitions
• Support through grief and loss
• Lifelong family connections

For many children, siblings are the people who best understand their experiences and can help them navigate challenges and change.

Benefits of Keeping Siblings Together

Whenever it is safe and appropriate, child welfare agencies strive to place siblings together.

Research shows that sibling placements can:

Promote Emotional Well-Being

Children placed with siblings often experience:

• Reduced feelings of loneliness
• Lower levels of anxiety and depression
• Increased resilience
• Greater emotional stability

Provide Continuity During Change

Siblings can offer:

• Familiar routines
• Shared memories
• Comfort during transitions
• A connection to family history

Strengthen Permanency Outcomes

Studies indicate that maintaining sibling relationships can contribute to:

• Greater placement stability
• Increased likelihood of permanency
• Stronger family connections into adulthood

Preserve Identity and Culture

Siblings often share:

• Family traditions
• Cultural heritage
• Language
• Religious practices
• Important life experiences

Maintaining these connections supports healthy identity development.

When Siblings Cannot Live Together

Although keeping siblings together is generally preferred, there are situations where separate placements may be necessary due to:

• Safety concerns
• Significant behavioral or treatment needs
• Specialized medical needs
• Lack of an available placement that can accommodate all siblings

When siblings cannot live together, child welfare best practices emphasize maintaining regular contact whenever possible and appropriate.

This may include:

• In-person visits
• Virtual visits
• Phone calls
• Text messaging (for older youth)
• Shared activities
• Holidays and special events
• Participation in family milestones

The Importance of Ongoing Sibling Contact After Adoption

Adoption does not diminish the importance of sibling relationships.

Many adoptive families work to maintain connections through:

• Scheduled visits
• Video calls
• Family gatherings
• Shared celebrations
• Social media connections (when age-appropriate)
• Ongoing communication between families

These relationships can provide important emotional support throughout childhood and adulthood.

Supporting Sibling Connections

Caregivers can help preserve sibling relationships by:

• Encouraging regular communication.
• Speaking positively about siblings and family connections.
• Helping children share memories and family stories.
• Maintaining photographs and keepsakes.
• Supporting visits when appropriate.
• Collaborating with other caregivers and family members.

Even when siblings cannot live together, meaningful connections can continue to play a vital role in a child's sense of belonging and identity.

A Child-Centered Approach

Current child welfare practice recognizes that sibling relationships are often among the most significant and enduring connections in a child's life. Whenever safe and appropriate, preserving sibling bonds through joint placement or ongoing contact supports children's emotional health, strengthens family connections, and promotes long-term well-being.

For many children in foster care and adoption, siblings are not only family—they are a source of stability, comfort, resilience, and lifelong connection.